Goddess's Sheath
by deamon
Summary: a new girl enters town and an enemy is on the rise...Could there be something in common...Most likely. (Please read inspite of crappy describtion)
1. A cold light

Godess's Sheath  
By deamon  
Rating:P-13(maybe R if I can anything done with the story)  
Summary: A girl enters town and a new enemy is on the rise.   
Disclaimer: Yeah, right, like someone like me would come up with something like Ronin Warriors. Pretty much all the unfimiliar faces never shown at any part of the series belong to me. The Ronins, Warlords and so don't...So simple isn't it  
A/N : Alright ya'll, as if you couldn't tell, I'm a newbie and this is the first Fanfiction I've every really put up. I've been thinkin of this story for at least three years now but could really organize enough to put it down on paper. Hope ya'll like!   
  
Sage walked down the dark corrider in which only seemed big enough to let one person through at a time. His sharp violet eyes couldn't adjust to the everlasting, blank darkness and his lungs burned from inhaling the damp and molding air. He couldn't understand why he was here. All reason told him to turn back; nothing good could come out in the end of the pitch black horizontal caviety. Yet something inside him told him to continue. He felt as if he were looking for something and the only way to find it was to continue on.   
He didn't know how long he had been walking. Time seemed of no importance and of no existance. All he could see and feel was the darkness that surrounded him. The feeling of isolation and lonelyness krept with in him and the hint of fear tense his shoulders.   
Then he noticed a thin pin point of light. That was it...Had he been looking for this...This light...He didn't wait for a rational thought. He had enough of the darkness. At least the light would give him the feeling of warmth and keep him from going insane from the never ending darkness. As he neared the little pin-point was getting larger. Sage picked up speed wanting to get out of the silent hell that seemed to follow him.   
The light wasn't the end of the some cave or exit like he had hope. Instead the light was coming from some source from above, like a spot like on an invisble stage, maintenced by humans that weren't there. Sage ran into the light an looked up in to its luminince. The light was colder than the darkness.   
He turned suddenly as voice cried out. "Who are you..." it was a small childs voice.   
"Can you help Mother..." it was in panic and pleaing with some one..." The bad men..They hurt her...They ran away but I don't know when they'll come back.." sobs were choked back as the child begged for help.   
Sage looked around. The voice seemed to be surrounding him, as if it was coming from the light itself.   
"Please..." The child sobbed ... "Help her." Unexplainably a small form begain to appear before Sage. The voice wasn't surrounding him any more and was now coming from this little form. It began to become clearer and Sage begain to notice the child was a girl, about nine or ten, with long light hair. She looked panic strickened and tears had obvioulsly stained her cheeks. Then Sage begain to notice her clothes. What he thought was deep red flowers on a pure white sun dress, prove to be deep red smeared blood stains. From chest down, blood stains were splattered acrossed the child. Her hands were drenched in it. Sage went to bend to down to sooth the girl..To demand to know what happened. As he reached to put his hand on her shoulder, the girl back away. The panic in her eyes increased. Her eyes became wide and her grey irises seemed to disapear in the vast white void.   
" Who are you" she hissed in a whisper as if she were so terrified that her lungs were stricken cold. "What do you want. LEAVE MOTHER ALONE!   
Sage was planning to tell her that he wasn't going to hurt her or her mother, when he noticed that the girl wasn't looking at him but rather through him.   
The girl backed farther and farther away, yet was still close enough that in a few steps Sage could easly hold her. Her body was stiff and was now shaking. Through her fear she was mumbling words. "You belong to the bad men, don't you? GO AWAY! HELP! HELP! LEAVE US ALONE! The girl turned seemed to be leaning over something, "Mother..Wake up! We have to run away! Mother! Wake up...Please wake up!" The girl looked up again and began backing up a few more paces till she seem to hit a barrier. "GO AWAY!" She skreeched. She pushed her back against the wall as if she were trying to disolve in to the barrier. "Please.." she mumbled. She was now so scared that she was reduced to begging. "Please leave us alone....We haven't done anything ....Stay away...STOP...STOP..GET AWAY FROM ME!"   
Sage watched in horror as the girl's eyes follow some invisble phatom approach her to where she had to tilt her head up to look at this invisible deamon. He couldn't seem to move his legs and his voice was stuck in his lungs so he couldn't even cry out if he wanted to. He watch as the girl tried in vain to push back against the barrier. She had broken down to screaming. Her small voice was echoing through the strange hell that both she, Sage, and her attacker were stuck in and the blood on her hands were smearing against the invisible barrier.   
Sage couldn't help but look as her eyes settled on the space in front of her.... They then setteled lower and nearer to her abdomine. Her cries echoed through Sage's head.   
"DON'T....PLEASE DON'T..." A light shined through her stained shirt, like the light Sage had seen before. It grew larger and larger as the girl screamed louder and bloodier. The light was the size of an adults hand and had riped and equal size hole in the girls shirt. The light luminated from the girls stomach as if a thousand fire flies were trying to burst from her flesh. Suddenly Sage became to scream as if the light began to engulf the girl..  
  
Athena bolted forward in to a sitting position as the screaming echoed in her head. A small child and a man's voice were crying out...  
She tried to calm her breath as she realized that she was still in her room, laying in her bed and far away from any screaming. Her hand came up to wipe the sweat off from under her pale bangs and the presipitaion slipped off on to the leather that covered her hands.   
A dream, she chided in her head. Nothing more. She looked over to the bundle of fur lying on the foot of her bed. As big as a wolf, and having the resemblence of one, Misha looked up at Athena with the conscerne of any animal that was suddenly jerked awake from sleep at his master's movements. For reassurence Athena leaned over and patted his head and gave him a small smile. Only Misha and Morgen were allowed to see her smile.   
Misha jerked his head as footsteps were heard approaching the door. He bounced off the bed and placed himself between his master and the door with his ears pircked up in curiosity. As the door opened slowly he lowered himself as if ready to strike. Suddenly the door was flung open and in that instance Misha lept to attack. He would have done damaged to the intruder in just the impact alone.However, before he even had a chance to make some sort of contact he was pulled back by his master grabbing on to his collar.   
"It's Morgen, you dummy," Athena said firmly. She kept a strong hold on his collar as a delicate looking girl with pale skin and dark chin length straight hair step lightly in the room. The light from the hall shown on her back creating even more shadow on her face and making her look like a phantom.   
"Honestly," Morgen sighed in her queit soft voice, " does he have to attacke everyone who comes near you?"  
"Only strangers." Athena grunted as she let go of Misha's collar and stood up from her sitting postion on the bed. She switched on a light and while squinting at the unwelcomed luminescence, said stoicly " You could have knocked like a normal person, you know. Misha wouldn't have sprung like that if you had."  
"I didn't want to wake you up!"   
" Then why did you want to come in here, if you didn't want to wake me up?"  
" I... Well I..." Morgan blushed and stuttered and brought her hands up to cover the rouge that was spreading across her face.   
Athena looked away to spare her friend's embarrasment and began pulling out a grey heap of clothes out of the drawers. "Oh, the new school's uniforom," Morgan noticed as Athena layed out on to the bed.She walked over to the bed and began to run delicat fingers over the course fabrice. " I never really had a chance to look at it till now."   
The top of the uniform was a deep storm cloud grey. It looked as if it were based on a Asian style with a high neck and buttoned down the front right side rather that the middle. A yellow him was steched to follow along the buttoned course of the top. Six silver buttons were lined up in to two parrallel lines on the abdonmine area-obivously there just for decoration. Dispite the high neck a darker charcol grey sailor collar was worked in to the top just as the neck fold worked into the side cut. A canary yellow bandanna was to be worn as tie under the collar. The skirt was plieghted and was the same color as the collar. White socks were to be worn with it and white shoes were given to be worn in the school- what shoes were worn outside of school was of the students choice.   
Morgen held the uniform top straight out in front of her at arms length. " Not too colorful is it?" She giggled lightly. She then went over to Athena and held it under her chin. Athena looked even palier next to the depressing colors. Her eyes, which were of the same color of the uniform seemed almost duller and if not for her strange, pale green hair and the canary yellow trimming, Athena would have looked as if she had steeped out of a black and white movie. The uniform totally washed her out.   
"I think I liked the uniform of our old school best," Morgan commented as she placed the uniform top neatly on the bed. " The navy blue went well with your complection."   
"I personaly don't give a damn what color goes with my complection. I find the whole idea of wearing a uniform loathing." Athena began walking out of the room, still in her pajamas towards the bathroom.   
"You don't like wearing a uniform just because of the skirt!" She heard Morgen cry out just before she slammed the door.   
Within about thirty minutes, Athena had finished doing her rituial bathroom routine of taking a shower, brushing her teeth and readjusting her braid. She had also headed back to her room and put on the dull uniform. If she had a mirror, she wouldn't have bothered looking into it. It was just another day at some school and she had noone to impress, even if it were a new school.   
As she walked into the kitchenette, Morgen had already placed toast and tea on plate, which Athena assumed to be hers and was most likely off getting dressed herself. She leaned against the counter as she ripped off a piece of toast and at it dry. Picking up the mug of tea, she drank the bitter hot liquid and felt as it traveled it's way down to her stomach. Not the most filling breakfast, but she really didn't care. If Morgen didn't insist every morning that Athena atleast eat something, Athena would have very well gone with out.   
In the mean time, she listened to the radio, which Morgen had turned on. It was suppose to be gray and cloudy today, but not suppose to rain. It also had mention something about a contest where someone could call in and win a pair of tickets to somewhere, but Athena didn't understand where. She had spent a year in Japan so far and though she could understand the language fairly well, sometimes people just went to fast for her to understand it totally. Both Athena and Morgen had learned the language pretty rapidly and people at their old schools were fairly impress at what they knew. They could almost even read a full text in Japenes which impressed people most of all. While Morgen took the praise with politness and gave a modest "thank you" in return, Athena just brushed it off saying nothing.   
Misha was busying himself with a rope toy that had been given to him as a puppy. As he noticed his master enter the kitchenette, he quickly trotted over to her with the rope toy swinging in his mouth and his tail swaying franticaly. When he noticed that she wasn't in the mood to play, he quietly sat down the toy and waited by her side, tail still wagging giddily.   
Morgan came in whistling to the pop song that was playing the radio with adjust the red ribbon that she place in her hair. As she noticed the rope toy on the floor, she picked it up and waving it infront of Misha to influence him to play; he on the other hand wasn't interested. She let the toy fall to the floor and stood up and examined Athena in her uniform. Like she had expected, the color totally washed Athena out. It's not that Athena didn't look bad in the uniform. The green-haired girl had a body that would look great in anything allowing the uniform to curve in the right places and her long legs made the hem of the skirt rest higher on her thigh than normal. Her messy green hair, which was put up into a high braid and the leather gloves on her hands (Morgen had long since given up hope of convicing Athena to stop wearing them) gave her a "rebel without a cause" look and this style and the fact that she had that way about her so naturaly made her stand out from the rest of the girls, but Athena herself, in this uniform just looked so... "Blah!" Morgen set the mug of green tea down on the counter; she had never really liked the bitter taste of it, but she thought that Athena liked it so she kept drinking it, day after day.   
Athena suddenly moved at the corner of Morgen's eye startling her. The green headed girl was heading out of the kitchnette in to the hall and most likely in to her room. With in moments, she was coming out with the school schachel and set it down on the table. She then looked up at Morgen with stoic and percing grey eyes which made Morgen blush. "Get your stuff ready. We'll want to be on our way in a few minutes."   
With a slight nod Morgen headed straight to her room and got everything ready. With a last glance in the mirror to make sure every thing looked right, she headed out of the room, schatchel in hand and headed in to the hall where Athena was waiting with the lunches that Morgen had made last night. The aburn haired girl tried not to giggle as she noticed Athena wearing tone shoes with the uniform. The stoic young women probably wouldn't care if Morgen giggled or not, but the smaller girl decided against it anyway. Within moments, both were out the door and on their way to school.   
  
"Man, Sage, you look rough," Kento noted as Sage entered the class room and took his normal seat beside Rowan, who had looked up from his book at Kento's remark. Ryo and Si had come over noticing Sage's entrance, took one look at him, and thought it better to leave hm alone.   
It was true. Sage's skin looked sickly pale and dark bags had formed under his eyes. It looked as if he was struggling to keep his eyelids open. On his part, Sage just ignored Kento's remark and placed his head down on his desk and tried ignore the head-ache that was forming over his eye.   
Last night had not been good. Not only had he stayed up till mid-night working on a project that shouldn't have taken as long as it did ( he'd get back at his younger sister for messing up his display and using his research papers as bird cage liner for her annoying parokee), but then he was awoken by that disturbing dream and because of it, he couldn't get back to sleep.   
His stomach flinched just thinking about it. The little girl covered in blood...the screaming... the cold light... It was too strange to be real, yet too real to just brush it off as an over active imagination. For some reason, it seemed like a memory. But what memory could be as strange and brutal as that.  
The bell ringing echoed in his head and made it throb. Maybe he should have stayed home today...The class room was filled with the sound of students taking there seats and papers and books being pulled out and placed on desk. Sage reached under his desk and gropped for his bag, opened it, pulled out paper and pen and then... " Shit!"  
Rowan was a little startled at Sage's hissed cursed and Kento was peeking around from his place beside Rowan to see what had caused the normally composed and quiet Ronin of Wisdomto say something that was more likely to come out of the mouth of Hardrock. Sage was rather lucky that the teacher wasn't there yet, or else he may have had to stand in the hall which would have added on to his bad day in the making.   
"I forgot the Math homework. I was too busy finishing that stupid project for Biology, that I completely forgot about it."   
Both Ryo and Si had turned from their places in front of the blonde-both also being a little surpised by the swearing. "Sage," Si commented worriedly, " this is really not like you. What's the matter with you?"   
Sage ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. (Rowan in the mean time was pulling out his homework in order for Sage to copy it.) "I was going to do it this morning before I left for school, but I didn't get to sleep till late and then the dream... I over slept and just had enough time to make it to school."   
"What dream?" Ryo asked with just as much concern as Si. He too had been trouble sleeping, and always woke up with a start and never really remembering what he had dreamed.   
Sage promised to explain it later in the long break and began copying down the math homework in a rush. Rushing through it, not caring if the answers were right or not- yet being done by Rowan chances were that they were all right-Sage manage to finish copying just as the door of the class room opened and the small balding Math teacher stepped in to the class room. Nothing of the later should have been out of the ordinary for a typical Monday morning, if it weren't for the fact the the squat old little man with more hair on his eyebrows that his head and wore thick bottle bottom glasses, was followed by a fairly tall slim gracful girl.   
The class was at first silent when the girl entered the classroom but then proceeded into working themselves into a gossiping fit. They all took in the sight before them.She wore the same uniform like all the other girls, but she stood out like a sore thumb...A very nice looking sore thumb. Whispers contain notices about the biker gloves worn on what look like to be delicate hand. ("Probably just some show off tomboy", whispered one girl. "She only wants people to think she's so tough. Look at that hair!"). There was no mistaking it, the girl's hair was light green and brought up in to a high braid which the tip reached the small of her back. Rough shaggy bangs fell over her fore head hanged almost in her cool grey eyes. She was pretty if it weren't for the fact that she wore the coldest, stoic expression that any of them had ever seen.   
"All right, all right," the teacher said writing something on the board. The girl had just stood in place, facing the other students, staring at them, or rather past them. " This is Athena Mandra. She'll be a part of the class from now on. Now who will be willing to bring in an extra desk and stool for our new student?"  
Several boys begain to stand up and cursed when the one nearest to the door, two seat in front of Sage on was the fastest and shot out of the room with a grin and blush. All the boys seemed to have take noticed of the new girl. They all seemed to be staring at her with dumb looks on their faces-this not going unnoticed nor well taken by the girls in the class. Even Rowan had looked up from his normal reading in class to glance. Sage scoffed and looked out the window.   
Since his childhood and the horrid things he had to put up with from his sisters, he had hated women. Alright so hate was the wrong word...but it still annoyed him at how they would giggle over him and try and flirt with him. Ever since middle school he, all he had ever wanted was to be left alone by the female gender. Was he attracted to women? Oh yes, definatly. Yet every time any girl came up to him, she would put on this giggling, bubble-headed shallow façade and sicken him enough where he would actually have to brush the girl asside in brutish manner. He had a name as a lady-killer and a heart-breaker and both names were rubbish seeing as he had never been in a single relationship in his life.   
As the door opened again, and the boy brought in the stool and desk, Sage turned his attention up front as the math teacher gave orders to the boy as to were to put it. ( The boy was about to put the desk next to his but the teacher stopped him before he had the chance.) That was when Sage noticed that the girl hadn't changed either expression, nor stance the whole time as she was waiting for the desk. He was so wrapped up in this fact that he hadn't noticed that the teacher had order the next to be placed right in front of him, right next to Ryo. It was only then, when the girl began to move and as she passed the boy who had gotten the desk for her, she gave a quick bow and a short and well pronounce yet stoic "Arigato" and sat down it front of Sage. This whole time ignoring the fact that almost everyone in the room was watching her every move.  
The lesson began but no one was really paying attention. The teacher was a kind man, yet he was as dull as dirt and his lessons were even more boring. Most of the students began whispering or writing notes. Sage, on his part was doing his best not to fall asleep. Not a good day, he thought as he already felt his eyelids droop and it was only ten minutes into the lesson. He felt himself slouch in his chair and begain looking around the room for something to catch his attention and at least keep him from falling asleep.   
At the corner of his eye, he watched Kento and Rowan. Kento was eating, behind his propped up Math book, yet not doing a good job of being secretive seeing as he had rice on the corner of his mouth. Rowan also had his Math book propped up, yet was reading a very thick text book about Astronomy. Nothing out of the normal routine. The Hardrock Ronin was known through out to be a lover of food and would often be seen eating in the halls, during breaks or in class. Other than a slight stockier built than most of the Ronins, it was hard to tell that he ate so much. People often said that thinking up those wise-ass remarks burned most of the calories that the orange Ronin consumed during the day. Strata was also popular but for different reasons. His intellegence made him a favorite amoung teachers and his marks were usually best in the class. Rowan's nose was seen stuck in book as often as Kento's mouth was stuck to a piece of food.   
Bringing his attention forwards, Sage started staring at the back of the two heads in front of him: Ryo's and Si's. When Si had first came to Japan four years ago*, and had entered the same class as the other Ronins, he was very queit and shy. People had accused him of having no personality what so-ever. Yet as soon as Kento-being one of the most out going out of any of them- came up to sigh in the second week, Si had turned out to be one of the nicest and most sensitive person any of them had ever met. The Ronin of water was willing to give a helping hand when ever needed and to whoever who needed it-no questions asked- and he was also the best mediator when ever the clique of friends started arguing. Next to him, Ryo, who was busy trying to balance a pencil on the bridge of his nose, was the non-elected, leader of the group. He seemed to have almost everything when it came to character. He was friendly and out going at times, yet quiet and sirene another time. Ryo was also one willing to give everyone a square deal, yet had a flaring temper when it came to anyone who was trying to hurt his friends. All these things combined just made it so easy to trust and follow him.   
Sage himself...hmmm...It was hard for Sage to describe himself really. He was usually the most held back person of the group. It was uncommon of him to do anything outgoing or spontaneous. He was known to keep cool under strenious situations and had a clear head most of the time.   
All of them together, were one of the most popular cliques in school. The five were known just to hang around and keep to themselves when it came to lunch and breaks. People were often envious at hard strong the friendship was and how comfortable they seemed to be around one another. But the five weren't just popular for the friendship alone. Girls were often looking at one - if not all- of them and giggle with a blush tinting their cheeks. This was something that Sage tended to loath. Unlike his friends he never really interested in girl's flirting with him; it all just seemed too fake.   
Letting him mind slowly daze, Sage began to consentrate on the auras around him. It was something that his grandfather had taught him when he was a child. He was often encouraged to practice it whenever he got the chance but after a couple times with a teacher thinking he was asleep and a few telephones calls home from the school, prevented him from trying this technique out in the school until Sage could master it without keeping his eyes close the whole time. All other thoughts abandoned him as he begain consentraiting on the sorrounding energies in the room. The auras begain radiating and pulsing in his mind. Sage begain to feel the differenced in strength and spirt all around him. Something suddenly caught him off guard and almost made him loose his concentraition and loose the auras prescence.   
Slowly opening his violet eyes he studied the people around him. Most of the stundents'-besides his and the rest of the Ronins'- auras were rather normal and hardly showed when Sage studied them like this. His friends on the other hand, had pulsing colors surrounding their entire bodies. Each aura was the color of the armor belonging to each Ronin. Rowan and Kento to Sage's left had the colors of Royal Blue and Orange while Ryo and Si in front of him had that of red and light blue. But nothing about this surprised him. He had studied his friends auras and was used to the strong energies surrounding him.   
It was just the one that through him off guard. One that had never been there before. Sage stared confusidly and the head in front of him. A strange shining light was shining around the girl next to Ryo. The new girl's aura was just as stronge and had a pulse like any of the Ronins. Hers wasn't like the Ronins when it came to colors, however. It was just a light that pulsed around her like a holy light showing a saint and just the feel of it to Sage was something that he had never in his life came across to before. He tried to concentrate on it more....It was so foreign....  
Sage wasn't paying attention enough to notice the back in front of him tence or else he would have discontiued his staring before the person before him whipped around and suddenly finding himself staring in to cold steel grey eyes. She knows, he reliezed. She could feel me consentrating on her aura. Both stared at each other, glaring at each other, not a word or expression passing through them as the world around them continued on. It was a feeling as if they were challenging one another but with nothing really to fight over. He could feel her aura growing stronger and feeling her energy build up.   
"Ahem!" Sage lost his concetration and looked up as the teacher was staring at him from the front as well as most of the class. Even the other Ronins were giving him wierd looks. " Mr. Date, would you mind explaining your little staring contest with Ms. Mandra."   
Sage stared at the teacher hoplessly gropping for an excuse. He noticed some of the girls in the class were staring at Athena with almost an envious look in their eyes.   
A sudden clack and and thunk on his hand, caused Sage to look down at a pencil rolling on his desk. " He dropped his pencil," said the cool stoic voice from the girl in front of him. " Nothing more."   
With a last glance, the girl turned around and began flipping through the math book in front of her. The excuse suited the teacher as he went back to writing on the board and the rest of the class turned to the front and begain copying what he was writing. Sage begain copying as well but could still feel the cold eyes on him...Even if they were facing the front of the room.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
* Forgive me but I have no idea when Si moved/(how long he's been living int Japan.   
Well....*deamon looks up at audience with scary bulging puppy dog eyes* did you like it. I swear this story has a plot, but I just need time and encouragment. Encouragment will be gladly taken in form of reviews...please guys or else my lazy self will never finish this story. 


	2. A screaming gaze

Chapter two: A screaming gaze Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Can always dream. Rating: (at the moment) G  
  
The sun was shining brightly and was successfully getting in the way as Sage was trying to watch the girls' gym class play softball. He still believed that girls were a waste of time and, unlike his other classmates, he was watching for a certain someone. That's when she stepped on to the plate. Her long green braid was brought up so that the tail end was tied up to the beginning making a loop of hair. People were no longer commenting on how strange it was that she wore the same leather gloves everyday. She was holding the bat in her hands and swinging it in order to get a feel for it before the actual pitch. At the moment, the boy's class was paying more attention to the fact that Athena's long muscular legs looked very nice in the short sport shorts that the girls were suppose to wear for gym. The boys should have actually been paying attention to the next person to go up on the parallel bars. Everyone watched as Athena leaned forward and stood in position to swing. Most of the boys would have chuckled at the fact that her hold on the bat was wrong, but no one dared to say a thing, seeing as they could imagine what kind of deathly glint in her eye at the moment. Her concentration was obvious, even from where the boys were standing which was about fifty yards a way to the left. While most of the class-both boys and girls-cheered when Athena pelted the ball scoring a home-run Sage was silent and still kept watching her, distrusting every move she made. He remember the first day that she entered class and how he sensed her aura and how he was positive that she had felt him sense it. She had come up with a good excuse by throwing the pencil at him, but he knew that she was neither trying to help him out, nor cared if he appreciated the gesture. During the rest of the lesson, he had this strange sense of weariness about him as if Athena would turn around and attack him at any point. It was during the short five-minute break when Athena had really made some drastic movement of any kind. As soon as the bell rang and the math teacher was out the door, most of the students began to crowd around Athena's table and began asking questions like where did she come from, what's her favorite subject, did she have a boyfriend... A suddenly without cause or reason, the green-haired girl put her hands flat on her desks and stood up rapidly so that her chair almost kipped over when it skidded up. She looked through everyone and headed over to the window and leaned against the edge and looked up to the sky. The whispers about her reaction were loud enough to hear but she didn't do anything but just stand there and look out the window. When Sage noticed that the hustle and bustle of Athena's reaction had died down, he himself had begun to walk over to the window. He had no idea what he was doing or why he was doing it. Perhaps it was to figure out where this strange energy came from or maybe just to give back the pencil, which rested in his pocket. As he reached the windowsill beside her, she didn't so much as address him with a glance, which was fine for him as he put his elbows on the ledge and leaned on it. " I expect my pencil back," she said suddenly not even looking at him. Sage pulled the pencil out of his pocket and handed it to her obediently. When she reached to grab it, Sage caught her wrist and pulled her to where their foreheads were almost touching surprise both Athena and himself. Strange as it was, no one in the class noticing the action going on beside the window, Sage was more concerned about the cold gray eyes, which were the only thing in his sight. Athena eyes were deathly as they held expression of surprise, anger, and -if Sage didn't know better disgust. She was tugging so hard to get her wrist back that Sage had to use a second hand to keep her from wrenching free. Through all this, she never made a sound. With a final tug for emphasis, Sage tugged so that their foreheads were literally millimeters apart. "What are you?" he whispered and the struggle for Athena's wrist lightened. She had stopped struggling and even look away for a moment. Then with cold steel eyes locked upon deep violet, she said in a cold monotone voice, "Nothing you want to mess with," she said her eyes looking almost dead at this point, "Now take your hand off, before I rip it off." Sage loosened his grasp and the second he did, Athena wrenched her wrist out of his hand. With a last glare, she walked over to her seat and sat down.  
  
Like the others he watched as Athena stepped lightly on home, scoring a point for her team, but he didn't cheer or comment on her hit of the bat. He watched as she went behind the fence, ignore the praise, ignore the attention and ignore the people. It had been about three weeks and Sage noticed that Athena hadn't made a single move in order to make any friends. No matter how polite anyone was, no matter how friendly and kind, the green haired girl continued on her lone-wolf ways. The only time that people in the class noticed that Athena didn't have a total lack of interest in other people, was on the third day after Athena entered the class, when a delicate, petite looking brunette entered the room during lunch. The other people in the class looked up from their lunch or conversations as the pale, doe eyed girl asked for Athena. Before anyone could answer, Athena was already up and by the girl's side. Standing next to the delicate girl it was easily seen that the two were complete opposites, just in sight alone but before anyone could whisper anything about it; Athena grabbed the doorknob and jerked the door shut with a slam. The two girls were often seen coming and going together. They met up with each other during breaks and didn't hang out with anyone else until the bell rang to come back to class. Their conversations appeared to be one sided with Athena, as stoic faced as ever standing against the railing while the doe-eyed girl chattered on. Everything about Athena and the aura about her put Sage in a state of suspicion. Every time he looked at her he would tense and would be nowhere close to figuring her out. She wasn't like other girls, Sage obviously noted. Her aura revealed a secretive deepness that no girls, that Sage ever knew, had. When her eyes weren't set in a steel glare, Athena's eyes reflected a bit of lost innocence The strange, morbid wisdom that radiated off her made Sage want to dig into her mind; yet it that was the exact same thing that kept holding him back. A sharp slap on the back woke Sage up from his thoughts. Kento was at his side grinning like a monkey and was obviously enjoying the benefit of being able to taunt Sage. "Well, well, Mister 'I'm-too-deep-to-get-involved-with-women' finally found his mate, eh?" "What are you talking about?" Sage asked as Kento lugged a heavy muscled arm on to his shoulder. Knowing there was no way that Sage would be able to get out of Kento's grip in a gentile manor, Sage allowed himself to be dragged over to where the rest of the Ronins were standing. "What do you think, guys?" Keno said finally taking his massive guerrilla arm off Sage's shoulder. "Doesn't it appear that our friend Mr. Date here, has been recently distracted by a certain new student." Sage grumphed at all the agreeing looks that surrounded him. "It certainly does seem as if you are taken of interest in her," Si stated meekly as to not to offend his friend. "It's not what you think," Sage sighed in an exasperated manor. "I think it's exactly what we think!" Kento said grinning. "It doesn't surprise me though; moody people are attracted to other moody people I guess. I suppose you two could be a good couple ..I suppose. Don't know what you guys would talk about though. You both seem on the quiet side so it would be hard to get a conversation going really." The other four Ronins were giving their babbling friend strange and confused looks as he continued on conversing with himself. Sage shook his head in order to wake himself from the spectacle. "No," he said. "Haven't you felt it. that.. That essence that surrounds her?" At this Kento stopped babbling and looked at Sage with a serious look. "An essence huh?" The rest gave solemn apprehensive looks when Sage nodded. Kento folded his arms and tilted his head down looking as though in deep concentration. "Well, that settles it.." He said deeply, The four looked up. "You've really fallen head over heels for Athena, haven't you?" The four blanched at Kento and were about to tackle him for the comment, were it not for the sound of the whistle calling the period to an end. It was as Sage was about to head into the building when a felt as if someone were staring a hole right through him. He turned questionably to be caught up in a steely cold gray glare. Athena was standing fifty yard away from him but her scowl was as predominant as ever. Something in Sage wanted to make him look away but he refused. He wanted to show that he wasn't afraid of her; he was going to figure her out. His violet eyes kept themselves on to Athena's cold gray ones and never left them. Time was irrelevant to them yet as the little staring contest continued, Sage felt himself almost drifting in to a dream. He started to feel lighted head and his vision became cloudy. That's when he heard it, the sound that pierced his heart for the past several weeks. The little girl was screaming again. It was as clear as ever and was piercing Sage's head. His knees buckled and he looked away from Athena and covered his ears with his arms to stop the sound that seemed to surround him. "Sage! Hey Sage!" He felt comforting auras of his friends' surround him and he started to hear their concerned voices over the terrifying sound. The screaming in his head began to fade. The panic in the crying was just as intense as when it first started, but now it seemed muffled, like someone was turning down the volume. He couldn't remember when he had fallen to his knees but his vision began to clear and reality was flowing back to him. He registered that his friends were beside him, inspecting him and worrying over him. Sage stayed mute as they helped him up and while his arms were slung across Ryo and Rowan's shoulders in order to help him into the school. Just as they were starting to lead him into school, Sage looked up. He had been expecting a smug, victorious look from Athena. She had to have invoked this and was now probably waiting for Sage to look up and admit weakness and defeat. What he did see had taken him totally off guard. Athena was sitting on her knee and slouched over as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. Even from where Sage was standing he could see her hand shaking as he went to brush unruly bangs out of eyes that were now as big as saucers. The two stared at each other blankly, each as confused as the other. They were neither asking each other nor trying to stare each other down. They were each just staring at each other, both wondering what had happen and wondered if the other had felt it. It was only when Ryo and Rowen started maneuvering Sage towards the building that when their gaze broke. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Well it looks like somebody got up off her lazy butt and decided to actually do something with this story of hers. Oh well.it's finally up and the first chapter is no longer hanging by its lonesome. 


End file.
